Posters

Get em while they are available

I am a sucker for the band merch table. I almost always want to buy a poster and then make the band sign it. I have so many incredible signed band posters. I have been focusing on the parallels between band posters and protest art. Especially in punk rock music, they have some incredibly wild and expressive posters.

I feel that socially motivating art will be a big hit for the next few years. We all like beautiful things to look at regarding imaging, direction, and motivation. So why not elevate protest art to the same level as the band merch table? Should everyone be able to take a piece of the protest home with them? I attended that protest. I had that speaker sign my poster. Limited edition runs. This could be epic.

A few key items to consider with all posters. Most posters are a mix of art and text. Occasionally, it's just art. Occasionally, just text, but those are rarely as memorable. So, in general, posters are designed to convey information. Who, what, when, where, why, how much? A good poster will answer all of these questions.

The best posters have a simple multi-tonal color palette. I like large, blocky shapes and bold, dynamic lines. In terms of text, white, black, red, yellow, or orange are the best colors for expressing urgency but not annoyance.

Posters that contain text need to have a hierarchy of importance. The most important information can be in the largest or most striking font. Perhaps color will show more significance than size or arrangement. You, as a viewer, will have to decide that. A poster can contain a surprising amount of text information. This is why a good poster designer will have a sense of flow to the information.

So, I will hybridize the protest poster and the band poster. I will let you know as this develops. I am currently working on finding a local print house that will produce posters in a timely and economically functional manner. If you have any suggestions, please send them my way. Or if you want to tell me about any of your favorite band posters and if you have any of them signed. I love to swap stories about that.